The present invention relates to a method of producing a print or character wheel such as the type commonly utilized in business machines for printing in conjunction with a ribbon. For many applications, print wheels formed of thermoplastic or thermosetting plastic material are preferred because of their relatively low cost and ease of molding. However, it has been found necessary to provide such wheels with a metal coating on the characters which would otherwise be quickly eroded by the high printing pressure encountered in machines of that type.
Such metal-coated plastic print wheels are generally formed by electroplating the plastic core in accordance with techniques adapted from those well-known, particularly in the decorative arts. Known techniques for metal plating of plastics have a number of deficiencies, however. Aside from the high cost and difficulty of controlling the degree and uniformity of the metal layer plated, there is a tendency for the metal to crack and peel thereby reducing the useful life of such parts.